Extension of Period of Stay

JET Program participants are required to renew the Period of Stay of their Residence Card for their fourth and fifth JET years. Extending one's Period of Stay is the responsibility of the JET Participant.

Some people have been able to get a three-year extension on their Period of Stay. But most likely you will only be allowed to extend your Period of Stay for one year at a time.

Note: The process of applying to renew your Period of Stay is frequently referred to as "extending your visa" colloquially. However the Period of Stay is a feature of your Residence Card, not your visa, technically. JET Participants only use their visa to enter Japan for the first time.

When to apply

Residence Card (在留カード); note the expiration date on the bottom line with the blue background.

You can apply to extend your Period of Stay up to three months before it expires. The expiry date is listed on your Residence Card.

You must apply for an extension of Period of Stay before your Residence Card expires. If you fail to do so and continue to reside in Japan anyway, even for a single day, you will be in the country illegally (不法滞在; fuhō taizai) and you will face severe penalties, potentially including immediate deportation to your home country at your own expense and possibly being barred from reentry into Japan.

Your new Residence Card will be valid from the day it is issued (i.e. the date you receive it), so many JETs wait until the last minute to apply so that the new validity lasts as long as possible, making use of the special period below.

Special period (特例期間)

If you submit your application within the three-month window, it is possible that a ruling will not be passed down before the expiration date listed on your Residence Card. This is especially true if you wait until the last minute to apply for your extension.

If you have properly submitted your application on time, you will enter a "special period" (特例期間; tokurei kikan) (source) after the expiration of your Residence Card. The special period lasts until either the time when the ruling is passed down on your application, or two months from the original expiration date of your Residence Card, whichever is earlier. During the special period, you are considered to have the same Status of Residence as listed on your Residence Card.

You must also carry proof that you in the special period:

• If you apply in person, you will receive a stamp on the back of your Residence Card saying that your application is in process (申請中; shinseichū). This stamp on your Residence Card is proof.
• If you apply online, you will not receive said stamp. Instead you will receive an email from Immigration Services informing you of your Application Number (申請受付番号; Shinsei Uketsuke Bangō). You must carry this email (digital or printout) along with your Residence Card as proof. (source).

  Note: only the second email with the Application Number proper serves as proof; the first email with only the Temporary Application Number (申請受付仮番号; Shinsei Uketsuke Kari-bangō) is not sufficient as proof. Be careful.

Documents to prepare

1. Have the following forms of ID ready:
   • Current Residence Card
   • Passport
2. Prepare the following documents:

   If applying online, scan everything in this item into a single pdf document that does not exceed 10MB

   (also see this ISA checklist of documents, and this ISA page)

   • Application form (在留期間更新許可申請書; Zairyū Kikan Kōshin Kyoka Shinseisho)

     Instructor Application for Applicant and Organization (from MOJ website; excel version also exists)

   • Tax forms (for the most recent fiscal year; acquire from your municipal office)

     住民税の課税証明書 (Jūminzei no Kazei Shōmeisho; certificate of residence tax levied), and

     納税証明書 (Nōzei Shōmeisho; certificate of taxes settled),

     or their equivalents

     (these certificates are still necessary even if you obtain your tax information through the Maina Portal with your My Number Card through an online application)

   • Document(s) confirming your employment status

     Your contracting organization should create a "Notice of Working Conditions" (勤務条件通知書; Kimmu Jōken Tsūchisho or 任用条件通知書; Nin'yō Jōken Tsūchisho) for you at the start of each fiscal year which details your working conditions (salary, term, etc.); ask if you have not received yours.

     You may need to attach your signed reappointment papers too to prove your continued employment beyond the end date listed in your Notice of Working Conditions

   • Document(s) confirming the details of your work duties

     If your Notice of Working Conditions doesn't also cover this, your Terms and Conditions certainly should.

     Alternatively, if you received a Notice of Appointment (内定通知書; Naitei Tsūchisho) or similar from your contracting organization before your arrival on JET which delineates your job duties, that should work too.

     Possibly a Certificate of Employment (在職証明書; Zaishoku Shōmeisho) issued by your employer could fulfill this requirement too, if enough details are written on it. It might not be enough just by itself, though...? If you can get one for free, it couldn't hurt to append as an extra, just in case.

   • Document(s) confirming the financial solvency of your contracting organization (for the most recent fiscal year)

     Proof that you've been paid: either your yearly earning statement (源泉徴収票; Gensen Chōshūhyō; used by US JETs to file taxes) or all relevant monthly pay stubs (給料明細; Kyūryō Meisai)

3. A photo meeting ISA specifications:

   

   Photo requirements

   • Only showing the applicant
   • No headwear or any other object covering the face

   (glasses are acceptable, but the frame must not cover the eyes)

   • Facing front (not at an angle)
   • No background (including shadows)
   • Clear (not blurry)
   • Uniform lighting
   • Neutral facial expression
   • Taken within the last 6 months

     if applying online:

   • The file size must be 50kb or less
   • Must be in .jpg or .jpeg format

     if applying in person:

   • Photo dimensions: 40mm×30mm
   • Height of the head: 23~28mm
   • 2~8mm space between top of head and top of photo
   • Write your name on the back!

For the Application, fill in the pages labeled 'For applicant, part 1' and 'For applicant, part 2'. Fill in 'For applicant, part 3' if you will have a legal representative doing this process for you. Have your CO fill in 'For organization, part 1'.

On the application, 'For applicant, part 2' question 23 is worded a little strangely in English, "Total period of receiving the foreign language education when you teach the foreign language". Here, they want to know for how many years did you receive an education in the language that you are teaching.

The Resident Tax Certificate, Income Tax Certificate, and Income & Earnings Tax Certificate can be acquired from the Citizens' Affairs Division (市民課; Shiminka) or Tax/Revenue Division (税務課; Zeimuka) of your local town or city office. In small offices, this office might be part of the Promotion Division (振興課; Shinkōka). The certificates cost about ¥200 each and can be printed fairly quickly.

The Resident Tax Certificate needs to reflect that you paid your taxes. You need to do this before you get your "Resident Tax Certificate" or it won't reflect that you payed your taxes, which is needed for your new visa.

Online applications

If you have a My Number card, you can renew your Period of Stay online. See the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) web page for details.

You will need:

• My Number Card
• PC (Windows or Mac)*
• IC reader (or an Android smartphone with NFC-reading and Bluetooth capability; only if applying by Windows PC)

*Applications can alternatively be made by smartphone (Android or iPhone) with NFC-reading capability. In such case, a separate IC reader is unnecessary.

Before you can apply digitally, you will have to prepare your My Number Card to be used for digital applications. See this Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS) web page (Japanese only) for instructions on how to use your My Number Card for digital applications.

Once your My Number Card and other documents are prepared, note that the actual online application then is a two-step process: first you have to register with the online application system, then you need to actually apply for the extension. As counter-intuitive as it seems, you will need to re-register every time you complete this process; once you are issued a new Residence Card (with a new Residence Card Number) after extending your Period of Stay, you become a new entity in the eyes of the system.

Step 1: What to prepare

My Number Card - without yours you won't be able to apply online!

Some of the steps in this process are also outlined on this J-LIS web page.

In addition to the documents listed above, you will also need to prepare your My Number card:

1. Acquire your My Number Card
2. Prepare the digital certificate (電子証明書; denshi shōmeisho) on your My Number Card
   • The municipal office where you acquire your My Number Card should prompt you to establish the necessary digital certificates when you apply for the card. You will have to assign multiple PINs to establish the certificates, so if they don't prompt you to input PINs when you apply for the card, double check.
   • Have both PINs ready; one is a 6~16-digit PIN (letters and numbers), the other is a 4-digit PIN (numbers only)

Preparing your PC

1. Prepare an IC reader*
   • Either a physical USB/Bluetooth IC reader, or an NFC-capable Android smartphone (connected via Bluetooth; only if applying by Windows PC).
   • Install the latest versions of any relevant drivers from the maker's website (if using a physical IC reader)
2. Install the necessary JPKI (Japan Public Key Infrastructure) software*
   • For Windows:
     • Download and install the Windows version of the software

     (Scroll down to the "利用者クライアントソフトのダウンロード" [Riyōsha Kuraianto Sofuto no Daunrōdo] near the top)

     • Next download and install the Edge/Chrome browser extension

     (Scroll down to the "利用者クライアントソフト（Edge/Chromeブラウザ利用版）のダウンロード" [Riyōsha Kuraianto Sofuto Edji/Kurōmu Burauza Riyōban no Daunrōdo] section at the bottom)

     • If using Android smartphone as IC reader: also download and install the Android app (Google Play Store) to your smartphone
   • For Mac:
     • Download and install the Mac version of the software
3. Install the latest version of Java
   • Install the latest version of Java from the Java website
4. Install a locale emulator
   • If your OS is not in Japanese, you may need to download and install a locale emulator to display the text properly
5. If you wish, you can also install the マイナポータル extension for Chrome or Edge at this time
   • You will be prompted to install it later when necessary, so you can skip it for now if you want
6. Proceed with your digital application in Step 2 (and 3) below.

*If submitting an application by smartphone, skip "1. Prepare an IC reader," and in "2. Install the necessary JPKI software" instead download and install the respective app for your smartphone: iPhone app (App Store) or Android app (Google Play Store)

Step 2: Registering for the Online Application System

After you have finished gathering your documents and setting up your physical device(s), follow the steps below. Also see the ISA User Registration Manual (English) on the ISA webpage.

1. Click the big green button at the bottom of the ISA page (or click here for a direct link).
2. Switch language to English at the top (optional)
3. Set your My Number Card on/in your IC reader
4. Scroll down to the "Register a new user" (新規利用者登録; Shinki riyōsha tōroku in Japanese) section in yellow
5. Click the "Foreign national (applicant)/other" (外国人本人・その他; Gaikokjin honnin/sonota in Japanese) button in that section

   Note: if you click the button before setting your card on the reader, it will return a failure-to-scan error message. You will have to close the prompt and re-open it after you have set your card.

6. Input your PINs when prompted:
   1. First input your 6~16-digit PIN when prompted and click "OK,"
   2. Next input your 4-digit PIN when prompted and click "OK."
7. On the next screen:
   1. Click "Search" to search fo your municipality,
   2. Fill out the remainder of your address,
   3. Input your phone (cell phone) number,
   4. Input your email address (twice),
   5. Select "外国人本人 Foreign National (Applicant)" from the 利用者の区分 drop-down list,
   6. Input your Residence Card number (printed in the top right of your Residence Card)
8. The system will provide you with a randomly generated User ID. Make a note of this ID.
9. You will receive an automatically-generated email from the system. From the email:
   1. Access the URL provided
   2. Create a password for your ISA account
10. Congratulations! You've made your account. Proceed to Step 3.

• 
  PIN prompt in 6-1.
• 
  Inputting address, phone number, email address in 7-1. through 7-4.
• 
  Selecting type of applicant and inputting Residence Card number in 7-5. and 7-6.
• 
  Setting the password for the account from the email in 9-2.

Step 3: Submitting your online application

After you have successfully registered with the system, follow the steps below. Also see the ISA Basic Operations Manual on the ISA webpage for instructions on how to make online applications.

Step 3.1: Opening a ticket

1. Click the same big green button at the bottom of the ISA page (or click here for a direct link).
2. Switch language to English at the top (optional)
3. Set your My Number Card on/in your IC reader
4. Scroll down to the "Login" (ログイン; Roguin in Japanese) section in blue
5. Click the "Foreign national (applicant)/other" (外国人本人・その他; Gaikokjin honnin/sonota in Japanese) button in that section

   Note: if you click the button before setting your card on the reader, it will return a failure-to-scan error message. You will have to close the prompt and re-open it after you have set your card.

6. Input your PINs when prompted:
   1. First input your 6~16-digit PIN when prompted and click "OK,"
   2. Next input your 4-digit PIN when prompted and click "OK."
7. Input your User ID and password which you set in Step 2, 8. and 9.
8. On the next screen, in the 在留申請(Zairyū Shinsei; Residence Applications) section, press the 申請情報入力(Shinsei jōhō nyūryoku; Input application information) button

   Note: You can also edit any of your registered information at this time by scrolling down to the 利用者情報更新(Riyōsha Jōhō Kōshin; Update User Information) section.

9. Over the next series of pages you will be prompted to fill out the details of your application:
   • STEP1(申請種別及び在留資格選択)
     1. Select "Extension of Period of Stay" from the 申請種別(Shinsei Shubetsu) drop-down list,
     2. From the 在留資格(Zairyū Shikaku; Status of Residence) drop-down list, select "教育 Instructor" if you an ALT, or "技術・人文知識・国際業務 Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" if you are a CIR,
     3. Ignore the 主たる活動内容(Shutaru Katsudō Naiyō) prompt
   • STEP2-1(身分事項１) - Fill out your personal information
     1. Nationality
     2. Name
     3. Sex
     4. Date of birth
     5. Marital status
     6. Occupation ("Assistant Language Teacher" or "Coordinator for International Relations")
     7. Home town/city (if from the USA: "USA (state)")
     8. Address in Japan (search for municipality first)
     9. Phone (cell phone) number
     10. Email address
     11. Passport number
     12. Passport expiration date
     13. Criminal record in Japan
     14. Family in Japan
     15. Preferred method of receipt of new residence card (mail or in-person pick up)
     16. Name of the Immigration office to receive new card (if in-person pick up was selected)
   • STEP2-2(身分事項２) - Fill out the information as it pertains to your current Residence Card
     1. Select your Status of Residence (see 8.STEP1 above) from the 在留資格 drop-down
     2. Select your Period of Stay from the 在留期間 drop-down (this should be either ３年 or １年!)
     3. Input the expiration date of your Residence Card
     4. Input your Residence Card number
   • STEP3(入力情報確認) - Confirm the displayed information
   • STEP4(申請情報入力完了) - Ticket creation complete
     1. Click 申請情報一覧へ(Shinsei jōhō ichiran e) to continue to the list of tickets
10. Proceed to Step 3.2 (YOUR APPLICATION IS NOT COMPLETE YET!)

• 
  PIN prompt in 6-1.
• 
  Splash page in 8. after logging in
• 
  STEP1 of the application in Step 9. (type of application)
• 
  STEP2-2 of the application in 9. (current Residence Card information)
• 
  STEP4 of the application in 9 (Ticket completion)

Step 3.2: Attaching supporting documents

1. Access your list of tickets
   • Do this either by continuing directly from Step 3.1 above, or by logging in again with your user ID and password which you established in Step 2.
   • Confirm that your ticket is listed under 申請情報一覧 if you scroll down
2. Attach your supporting information
   1. Click 資料を添付する (Shiryō wo tempu suru; "Attach documents") (① in the picture below)
      • This is the page to attach your supporting documents
      • Upload the pdf with all of your documents which you prepared above
      • All of your documents must be contained in a single pdf! You will not get a chance to upload again if you make a mistake, so double- and triple-check before uploading!!
      • The file size of the one document must not exceed 10MB
      • Press the button to submit once you are sure
   2. Click マイナポータルから所得・個人住民税情報を取得する (Maina Pōtaru kara shotoku / kojin jūminzei jōhō wo shutoku suru; "Obtain income/personal residence tax information from the Maina Portal") (② in the picture below)

      (This step might not be necessary, since you are appending your tax certificates anyway, but it can't hurt to provide this information)

      • This is the page where you will use your My Number Card to access your tax information online
      • You will be prompted to scan your My Number Card
      • You will be prompted to install the マイナポータル Chrome or Edge extension if you haven't yet done so
      • Once you've installed the browser extension, you can press the button to automatically obtain all of your relevant tax information
      • Select the most recent available year
      • After you have confirmed that your numbers have been populated in the text box, press the button to return to the splash screen.
   3. Click 顔写真を添付する (Kaojashin wo tempu suru; "Attach a photo") (③ in the picture below)
      • This is the page to attach your portrait photo
      • The upload process is identical to ①, except the file size must not exceed 50kb
      • Your portrait photo must meet ISA specifications (see #Documents to prepare above)
      • After you upload your photo, you can confirm it by clicking 顔写真確認 on the splash page
3. Finally, submit your application by clicking the big orange button (入管庁に申請を行う; Nyūkanchō ni shinsei wo okonau)
4. You will be redirected to a page telling you your application has been submitted
   • Check your email to ensure that you receive a confirmation of submission by email, too!
   • You can log in again with your My Number Card to confirm the status of a submitted application from the website

• 
  Tickets splash page in 1.
• 
  Tickets splash page,
  ① Upload documents,
  ② Obtain tax information,
  ③ Upload photo
• 
  File upload in ① (uploading a photo in ③ is a similar page; with a file size of 50kb)
• 
  Confirmation of submission page in 4.

Step 4: Receiving your new Residence Card

1. First you will receive an automatically generated email from the system stating that your application has been received.
   • Titled 【在留申請オンラインシステム】申請受付完了のお知らせ (【Zairyū Shinsei Onrain Shisutemu】Shinsei Uketsuke Kanryō no Oshirase)
   • This is the same email mentioned in Step 3.2 (confirmation of submission)
   • This email will contain your Provisional Application Acceptance Number (申請受付仮番号; Shinsei Uketsuke Kari-bangō)
   • The Provisional Application Acceptance Number is a 19(?)-digit number, the first three digits of which indicate the Regional Immigration Services Bureau which is handling your application; if applying from Akita, yours will likely start with 959- for the Sendai Regional Immigration Services Bureau.

   Note: this email is NOT proof that you are in the special period (if applicable). You will need the follow-up email below for that.

2. In a day or two(?) you will receive a follow-up email stating that your application is being processed.
   • Titled 【在留申請オンラインシステム】申請受付番号のお知らせ (【Zairyū Shinsei Onrain Shisutemu】Shinsei Uketsuke Bangō no Oshirase)
   • This email serves as proof that your application is being processed, and that you are in the special period (if applicable); DO NOT DELETE IT!

   If you are in the special period, you are required by law to carry both your expired Residence Card and a copy of this email with you at all times. It's recommended to carry a printed copy of this email with you as well!

   • This email will contain your proper Application Acceptance Number (申請受付番号; Shinsei Uketsuke Bangō)
   • Your Application Acceptance Number is a 10-digit (numbers and letters) number with an indicator code at the beginning corresponding to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau handling your application; again, if applying from Akita, yours will likely start with "仙オン" for the Sendai Regional Immigration Services Bureau.
3. Receive your new Residence Card in the mail
4. ...
5. PROFIT

In-person applications

Extending one's Period of Stay in person takes two separate visits to the Akita Office of the Sendai Regional Immigration Services Bureau in Akita City. See location below. The Bureau is only open weekdays 9:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00.

Day one: Submitting the application

On day one you need to visit the Immigration Office on the 5th floor. Bring all of the documents listed at the top of this article; make photocopies for your records first!

After you turn over your documents (and show all of your IDs) to the officer, they will likely make you wait a short while why they do an initial review of everything you've submitted. If you forget some of these documents, they might let you mail the forms in later, but if they don't it would be a hassle, so try to bring them all; they might give you an envelope with their address printed on it in that case, but sometimes not.

After submitting the documents, the officials will ask you to write your name and address on a postcard. When your application has been approved, you will receive this postcard in the mail. On the postcard it will list the time frame for when to pick up your new Residence Card (only about 10 days).

Day two: Retrieving your new Residence Card

Day two is a quick and easy trip. Here's what you need:

• The postcard the Immigration officials sent you.
• Passport
• Alien Registration Card
• ¥4,000 for the Period of Stay extension.

First, go to the 2nd floor shop and buy ¥4,000 stamps. Then go to the 5th floor immigration office and finish the paperwork.

Alternatively, go to the 5th floor first, and they may give you a special paper which you can affix the stamps to first. If you do it that way, take the paper down to the 2nd floor shop and attach the stamps there.

Sendai Regional Immigration Services Bureau Akita Office

The office is in the Akita Gōdō Chōsha (秋田合同庁舎, ☎ 0188-95-5221, 〒010-0951 秋田県秋田市山王7-1-3,); the building is SE of Yabase Park.

Hours: Weekdays 9:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00

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Follow-up activities

• Renew your My Number Card. Your My Number Card will have the same expiration date as your original Residence Card, and you cannot apply for a new one without presenting your new Residence Card. This should be done as soon as possible after you receive your new Residence Card.

• Notify your bank(s) that your Residence Card has changed. Banks in Japan are required to keep an up-to-date record of status of residence of foreigners who hold accounts with them. Failure to do so may prompt them to put restrictions on your account(s). Possibly you will receive a notice in the mail about it; but not always, so it's good to be proactive!

• You may need to renew your Japanese drivers license around the same time. This is unrelated to the visa process and you can do either first. A postcard from the driving center should come to your house with details on the renewal process. For many people, the process involves a 2 hour lecture, and for others it takes 5 minutes.　You can renew your drivers license up to one month prior to, and one month after your birthday, so you should be able to plan ahead and use a nenkyuu day, should you need to. New drivers licenses have RFID cards, and when you get them, you'll be asked to choose two 4-digit PINs.

See also

• ISA Extending Period of Stay page (Japanese)
• ISA page for procedures for Instructor status of residence (Japanese)
• ISA page for photo specifications (Japanese)
• Guidelines for using the Online Application System (Japanese)
• User Registration Manual for the Online Application System (English)
• Basic Operations Manual for the Online Application System (English)
• ISA page on Extending Period of Stay online
• J-LIS page on using your My Number Card for digital applications (Japanese)
• Sendai Regional Immigration Bureau (〒983-0842 仙台市宮城野区五輪1-3-20 仙台第二法務合同庁舎)
• Extension Application Form (PDF). (CAUTION: Outdated!)
• Extension Application Form (Excel). (CAUTION: Outdated!)
• Application form source page (in Japanese).
• Alien registration in Japan (wikipedia)